Altered Kaleidoscope
by SleepingPandaRose
Summary: They say the smallest change is all it takes to change the world. How true is this saying? How far can the world change? What if this happened to the chosen seven? Altered fate, altered war, altered kaleidoscope. AU. Characters may be OOC. [ON HIATUS]
1. Chapter 1

**ALTERED KALEIDOSCOPE**

DISCLAIMER : I DO NOT OWN FATE. FATE BELONGS TO TYPE-MOON AND NASU KINOKO. I OWN ONLY MY OC. ANY RESEMBLENCE TO REAL PERSON OR PEOPLE ARE MERE COINCIDENCE. NO FINANCIAL PROFIT IS MADE FROM THIS. THIS IS FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY.

* * *

 **A/N** Another story from me everyone. I just wanted to get this out and see how things would work out for this fic. Let me get this straight to the point first. This is AU, so characters might be OC, depending on what sort of changes I've made to them. Consider this a belated new year present everyone, please R &R.

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

 _They say there are infinite possibilities in this world. That every single change, however, insignificant in the eyes of others, may change how the world around us evolve. Have you ever thought of this in your life, that in the past, if you had made a different choice, how differently the outcome would be? No? Let me give you an example then._

 _Now, don_ _'t tell me you never had an exam in life. I know, every single one of you has this experience. When you were handed your exam paper back, you would say something like this._ _'Damn, why did I change that answer in the first place? If I didn't change it, I would've gotten higher marks.' Am I right on this?_

 _I'm not here to nag on and ramble on about rubbish. I'm here to let you all know the story of a domain in the infinite Kaleidoscope. Now, most of you must be familiar with the story of the broken man and a mad knight. Of the psychotic killer and the warlock. Of the priest and the shadow. Of the novice practitioner and the King of Conquerors. Of the arrogant noble and the betrayed knight. Of the nobleman and the King of Heroes. And of course the Magus Killer and the King of Knights._

 _Their story is the one most sung. But I want to ask you all a question. How many of you have thought how different the war over the Grail would be if something in their past is altered? One change, that_ _'s all it need to change the whole timeline. Now, let's imagine this, shall we? Seven people, one change in their life. If you all want to say that one change is mayhem, then how will things turn out if seven changes occur?_

 _Now, now, calm down. Please don't say that I'm nuts, cause maybe I am. I didn't live in this world for all the centuries without having a wire short-circuiting somewhere. They say time changes people, and that_ _'s quite true. I myself have been bored almost to death._

A figure walked out from the shadows. An aging man with white hair and beard. His piercing red eyes burned with a mischievous fire. An unpredictable grin was shown on his lips. A short black cape was thrown over his shoulders, and he wore simple dark attire with a cane in one hand. Around him, colorful portals flickered and came to life, displaying different timelines, different worlds.

He waved a hand over them, and all rippled, and displayed a single, same image. A dark mass of pure malice, the world around it burning till there was nothing left to burn. The sky painted in a sad dark color, which told a sad story to the world that there was no hope, no future lying ahead of them, and it was all because of them.

 _One decision, one act, that was all it took to change me from a mere human to a Dead Apostle. If you ask me do I regret getting this life, I cannot tell you the answer, for I do not carry the answer with me. It had taken me years to realize how different one's life can get if one little thing was changed in their past. With all the traveling that I had done between the worlds, I believe it is time for you all out there to know how things can be different._

 _Now, I believe you all have heard enough from me. Let's go back in time, to where the fate of young Emiya Kiritsugu changed. Remember what I said, one change is all it takes to change the future._

His form disappeared into the shadows once more, but his voice continued to echo in the space.

 _Sit back, everyone, and let your mind open for what is about to happen next. No worries, you will see me again... soon..._

* * *

Sometime, somewhere...

A small island, with the greenery covering almost every inch of the place. Sandy beaches lined its shore, with occasional rocky cliffs in intervals. At one stretch of the beach, children were jumping off a cliff into the crystal clear water below.

One boy, with dark messy hair, in blue shorts, took his turn and climbed up the cliff. His grin was wide as he turned his gaze to the boulder beside him. The other children let out childish giggles, and some watched in awe as the Japanese boy climbed to the top of the boulder before jumping down, creating a splash bigger than any of them had made.

They never ceased to call the boy by a weird name, Kerry. It was strange how a Japanese boy could have a name like that. They got out from the waters, and put on some dry clothes, before regrouping around a piece of driftwood, a trunk, and discussed their day.

They were busy complementing and envying the boy. "Awesome, Kerry!" They all exclaimed.

The boy felt embarrassed by the attention he was getting and was busy scratching his head, muttering "It was nothing." when the sound of a trunk honking had their attention.

"Shirley!" Kerry greeted, and the others echoed.

A girl, a little older than him, with dark brown hair tied into a high ponytail, light brown eyes, dark skin, wrapped in a simple white dress with a low neckline called out to him from the driver seat window.

"Kerry! Did you wait a long time?" She asked with her usual sunny smile.

The boy shook his head, bade goodbye to his friends before climbing into the passenger seat, and she put the gear in, the small lorry moving steadily across the island. Palm trees lined the beaches, and the villagers were lounging under the shades, chatting while listening to the radio. The children were playing, either at the beach or in the village. To say the least, it was a peaceful island.

Shirley was the first to break the silence. "Kerry, do you know the origin of our island's name?"

"Nope." His answer was quick, but he realized something and continued. "Oh, Alimango is some kind of crab right?"

"Right..." She confirmed his answer without looking at him and gave him a brief explanation. "Long ago, people made offerings to the sea gods here, on this island. But one day, a little girl, with no food for her sick mother, stole from those offerings. So the gods cursed her, and turned her into a crab."

Kerry turned to look at her. "That's where the name comes from? What a terrible story..."

By then, their lorry had passed the village and the local church and was moving on a dirt road into the forest ahead. But Shirley was not done with the story.

Focusing on the road ahead, she continued. "You know, the shrine where they worshiped the gods, is right on this mountain, just beside your house. That's why none of the villagers would dare to go up there. They are afraid of the place. They're warning me that if I go there too often, I'll get cursed, just like the girl.

The boy leaned back in his seat, his hands behind his head. "For real? But everyone's so nice to me."

Shirley smiled at the comment. "Well, they don't think of you as an outsider anymore!" That seemed to comfort the boy, but her next line nearly caused him to fall out from his seat. "The villagers think of you as my little brother!" She said happily.

Kerry let out a sigh, looking crestfallen. "A little brother, huh?" He echoed.

"You've adapted pretty well to the life around here..." She tried to change the topic.

"You think so?" He sounded skeptic after her comment earlier.

"When you first got here, everyone was picking on you.." Shirley stated. "They said you have a funny name." She giggled at the memory, and the boy looked at her with an annoyed look on his face.

"You-" He managed to say before they hit a bump, and he jolted in his seat, before retorting. "You started it, Shirley! You were the first to call me Kerry." He said, sitting back up with closed eyes.

The elder girl scratched her cheek in embarrassment "Because it's hard to say your real name. Kerry... Kerry..." She muttered, trying to remember the name.

"It's Kiritsugu." He said.

"Kerrytoogoo!" She said happily as if she had just won the lottery.

"Not even close." He mumbled exasperatedly, but he was grinning anyway, and Shirley couldn't stop herself from chuckling as well.

They reached the top of the mountain, and Shirley parked the truck just outside the workshop. The house was made from planks, and zinc for the roof. Similar materials were used for the workshop. Shirley moved to the workshop to help up with the research, while Kiritsugu busied himself with dinner.

Soon, a simple fish stew was done, and it was poured into three porcelain bowls. At the same time, the boy's father, Emiya Norikata exited his workshop, carrying a pot of flower in his hands. A middle-aged man with dark hair and eyes, just like his son, stubble and wore glasses. He was a Sealing Designation who had traveled all over the world, avoiding the Magus Association. Even their home on the island now was temporary.

"Dad, is that a new one?" Kiritsugu asked excitedly.

His father, a man with little expression, beamed in pride. "Yes, success number one hundred."

Kiritsugu took the pot from his father and placed it on a shelve, alongside the other flowers, which would never wilt, thanks to the magic Norikata had applied on them. The father leaned against the railings with his arms crossed, looking over his specimens.

"These flowers never wilt..." The boy stated the obvious fact.

"I've altered their flow of time." The magus offered some explanation. "They won't grow any further, but they'll never die, either."

"Wow..."

"The question is..." Norikata pointed out the dead end in his research. "...if we can apply the same theory to human beings."

Shirley came out from the workshop with her own pot of flower and closed the door with her back. She called over to the two males with enthusiasm in her voice.

"All done!" She said, carrying her flower and put it down among the rest. Her pot had two stickers, one with her name, the other had the number "1".

"Shirley, you..." Kiritsugu left his question hanging.

"Look!" She said proudly. "My first successful experiment!"

"Shirley's been learning by imitation, while she helps me out. She definitely grasps the basics of magic." He said, a little proud of the young girl.

The three moved to the table set out in the open and took their meal. Shirley was a little embarrassed with the praise, so she tried to keep a low profile.

"Sensei, you did practically everything..." She said. He said nothing to her comment. "I only jumped in at the end."

"But that's still awesome!" The little boy jumped in. He turned to his father. "Hey, dad..."

"Yes?" His father finally joined the conversation.

"Can I try doing what Shirley did, too?" He asked hopefully.

"That's a great idea!" Shirley immediately backed him up. "With some help, you'll definitely succeed! Right, sensei?"

"No." The reply was short and blunt. "You're not ready yet. This isn't a game." He said to his son, concern etched on his face. There are real risks. In Shirley's case, I decided that she'd amassed enough knowledge and experience to try."

Kiritsugu looked crestfallen. His father immediately excused himself from the table and returned to his workshop.

That night, the young boy watched with a sour expression as his father tutored the elder girl in the workshop, while she took down some notes. His mind was still on magic, he longed to be able to perform the miracles his father had performed over the years, but his father had made it clear that he wouldn't be teaching him anything in the near future.

The next night after helping Norikata with his experiments, Shirley bade the boy goodbye. "See you tomorrow." She paused, her eyes fixed on something.

"Shirley, is something wrong?"

"Keeping flowers in bloom forever..." She said slowly. "It's such a beautiful magic."

"Hey, you did it too." He said, not understanding why she said something like that all of a sudden."

"At my level, flowers are my limit." She continued as if in a trance. "Sensei is so much farther in his researches. His medicines could eliminate death itself. I just.. I think about using his work to benefit humanity so that they will understand him. But sensei, he said it's not ready yet..." She paused, turning to the younger boy. "But Kerry, I know you can do it."

"What?" The boy asked sheepishly. "You're his star pupil. If it were going to be anyone, it'd be you. Not me."

She looked sad, so was her voice. It sounded like she had given up hope. "I'm not his student. I'm only an assistant. I only clean and help out."

Kiritsugu finally noticed what she had been looking at the whole time. The flower that both of them thought would bloom forever, the first successful specimen produced by Shirley, had wilted.

"I'm not his student or anything." She stated in resignation. "So I can't refute what Father Simon says about him because there's nothing I can say. Kerry, you're next in the line, without a doubt. Everything he does, he sets up for you to one day continue. It's just too early."

Sensing the dark atmosphere surrounding the two, Shirley reached out to take hold of his hand, pulling him along. "Hey, come with me."

The duo made their way into the forest. It was eerie at night, the narrow dirt path was illuminated only by the soft rays of the moon hanging over their heads. The sound of crickets singing and owl hooting could be heard, but none paid any attention to the nocturnal creatures. Shirley had the lead, slowly treading down the path. Kiritsugu was not far behind, the younger boy taking bigger steps to keep up with her.

They arrived at the stream running through the forest, and he let out a sigh in awe of the sight before him. Though he had lived on the island for some time, he had never noticed or known such a scenery existed. The running waters were bathed in the soft rays of the moon, its surface reflecting the light. Shirley stood at the edge of the stream, enjoying the view, and Kiritsugu joined her.

Specks of light could be seen in the water, a product of the light emitting algae living in the waters. Shirley flipped her dark hair and asked a random question.

"Kerry, what do you want to be when you grow up?" The boy was surprised at the question, and before he could give her an answer, she had continued. "if you continue your father's work, how will you use its results? Someday, you will have the power. The power to change the world. In fact, I guarantee that you'll be able to. I'm certain of that."

Kiritsugu tore his gaze away from her and thought about it. But he had a sad look on his face. "Well... It's a secret."

Shirley smiled at the answer, and walked towards him, hands behind her back. She looked at him playfully. "Then I'll wait and see, with my own eyes, what you do when you grow up. Until then, I'll stay by your side. Okay?"

Kiritsugu blushed at her words, and quickly look away, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Wh-Whatever you want."

She couldn't stop herself from laughing at the sight of a blushing Kiritsugu. She encircled his body with her arms and pulled him off the ground, twirling him round and round, laughing. "Whee!"

"Knock it off!" He wailed.

* * *

The next day, Shirley didn't even show up, not even until it was late into the evening. Kiritsugu was tired of waiting for her, so he went into the village and searched for her. Upon arrival, he immediately asked the first two children he saw concerning the whereabouts of the elder girl, but both of them claimed that they had not seen her for the whole day.

Worried, Kiritsugu raced off to ask more people, but everyone gave him the same answer. They had not seen the girl for the whole day, which was quite weird, as the truck she drove was still parked outside her home. She never went anywhere without her truck. It was her mean of transportation.

The young boy took off in the direction of her house and knocked frantically on the front door, silently hoping for an answer. None came. The house was silent. There were no pattering footsteps to greet him. No smile. No Shirley. Nothing.

He called out. "Shirley?" Silence.

Kiritsugu decided to let himself into her house. He pushed the door open, creaking on its hinges, and poked his head into the house, calling out again. "Shirley? Are you home? Shirley?"

Again there was no answer from inside the house. He looked around the empty house and was pretty sure there was no one in the house. He closed the door behind him and made his way back to his own house, wondering where the elder girl had gone to. He broke into a run, racing back to his house. The sun was already setting, and he was not supposed to be out after the sun sets.

He maneuvered himself through a shortcut, trying to avoid the branches and roots that kept on blocking his way. He ducked under a branch but didn't manage to jump over a root, causing him to fall face first into a puddle, and getting soaked all over. The poor boy even lost his slippers while crawling out from the muddy water. He choked up some water, and tried to fish out his slippers, but gave up after a few minutes.

He sighed in resignation and started back to his house again. Surprisingly, the house was dark, but the workshop still its lights on. From what Kiritsugu knew, his father was never in the workshop at night, unless...

Unless Shirley was there.

He stumbled forward, reaching for the doorknob, but stopped. He was not allowed inside the workshop. His father had forbidden it, ever since he was a child, it was a strict rule that he was not to be allowed in the workshop, no matter what. Unless his father gave him the permission, which has yet to happen.

He turned to leave, knowing it wasn't right for him to be there, but some glassware shattering in the workshop, and Shirley's scream brought him to a halt. He turned, eyes wide. "Shirley?"

"Please sensei..." He heard her pleading. "You said it yourself. It is incomplete. It's not ready to be tested. Please don' force me to do this..."

He couldn't hear his father, but he could hear the struggles happening inside. More glassware was being toppled, but none of them seemed to pay any attention to it. A thud to the wooden planked floor urged the young boy to grab the doorknob, turning it and stepping into the room. What he saw there froze him to where he was.

* * *

Norikata needed to know how far his research had progressed. It had been some time since he settled on the island, and the Association was hot on his trail. It wouldn' take them long to know where he was hiding. But before he left the island, he needed to at least know how successful his studies had been.

For the flowers, it had been successful. They stopped growing, but neither would they die. But plants anatomy was much simpler if he compared it with Humans. He needed to know what effect his drugs had on humans, and then he would need to decide whether to drop his current project and start anew or should he continue with it.

But another problem arises. There was no one he could experiment on. Sure, he could mix the drug into some drinks and offer it to the villagers, but they were so acting as if he was a plague and refused to even speak to him. There was no way they would accept any drinks from him. There was his son, which would have no suspicion as to what he was doing, but to a Magus, his son was his legacy. He needed Kiritsugu to continue on with his work, to perfect it so that the Emiya clan could finally reach the Roots.

He had been cracking his head on the problem ever since his first successful specimen was produced, and he had yet to come up with a solution. He folded his hands, closed his eyes and searched for an alternative.

Something flashed across the Magus' mind, and he silently cursed himself to be so stupid as to miss the obvious solution. He had a willing participant, who knew about his researches, and was anxious for his drug to "help the world". _Yes,_ he thought to himself, a smile slowly creeping up to his face. _Shirley is the best choice..._

He stood up and headed for the door. Kiritsugu was still out playing with the other kids on the island, and he had no intention to let the young boy know what he was doing. He was too young and much too soft for this. Years of training waited ahead of him before he could inherit the Emiya Crest. Norikata knew the boy must grow out from his habits first. He needed to know what it means to become a Magus. It's not just about the fame, the power he would hold, but more than that.

The Emiya clan had dedicated themselves to reaching the Roots ever since the beginning. Now, as the fifth generation, Norikata uphold the responsibilities. And one day, he would need to hand the baton to his son, just like his own father, who had handed the baton to him in the first place, and all the generations before.

He stepped out of his workshop and immediately headed towards the village. Although he seldom, or in case, never set foot in the village, he had his own ways to know where his assistant was at the moment. Not even stopping to admire the scenery around him, the Magus just moved on mechanically, towards his target. Sure enough, he found her in short time, feeding the chickens she reared behind her house. He reached a hand into his pocket, feeling the bottle of drug inside, and wondered whether he should ask her to drink it there and then.

 _No, not here, not now. There are too many potential witnesses. What if it doesn't work? Here, I don't have the necessary means to run, to get away. No, I have to bring her back to the workshop..._

"Shirley..." He called in his usual monotone.

The girl turned, and was very surprised to see who was standing behind her. As far as she had known, her sensei had never set foot in the village, not even once. Even when he needed groceries or errands ran, he would send Kiritsugu instead of going by himself. The man could literally be called a hermit, as he lived alone, shunning himself from everyone else except his own son and her. She never understood why he had accepted her into his researches.

She stood up and closed the chicken coop behind her. "Sensei, anything that I can do for you?" She asked nicely.

He nodded. "Ah, I require your help at the workshop."

"OK, I'll clear things up, then I'll head there immediately." She responded.

"No, I rather prefer we leave immediately." Again, the monotone.

If she was shocked by how things had turned out, she didn't let it show. Obediently, she followed her sensei and grabbed the truck keys on the way, but the man's eyes told her that they were walking. There was no way for him to utilize the technology.

So, the two set off on foot. The younger among the two trudged on a bit hesitantly, her unanswered question kept flashing through her mind. There was no actual need for her sensei to come all the way down just to call her to the workshop. She would have gone there even if he didn't call. It was a routine life for her, ever since father and son moved to the island. In the morning, she would wake up, make breakfast, do housework. In the afternoon, she would shop for necessities before feeding the chickens. Then she would go to the secluded workshop and help Norikata. She would then stay for dinner and finally return home.

She stumbled over a rock, but quickly regained her footing and caught up with the man in front of her. He was guiding them through a stretch of the forest she wasn't familiar with, and she definitely didn't want to get lost in it. He seemed to know his way around pretty well, for someone who spent his life on the island in his house and workshop.

They cleared the forest after half an hour, and the house and workshop came into view. Without a word, the two headed for the workshop and Shirley closed the door behind her as usual. She thought it was weird for the Magus to went into the village for something so trivial. She watched the older man moving his hands over the reagent bottles.

"Shirley, you said it once, didn't you?" He asked, but to her, it sounded more like a statement.

"Eh?" That was all her mind could come up with as a response at the moment.

He turned to her, holding one of the bottles. "That in this bottle is the power to change the world." She nodded at his words, clearly remembering she had said that, to him and Kerry.

"But at this stage, I've only tested the chemicals on flowers. But what I want is not forever blooming plants. We Magus have bigger goals, bigger than those carved by mere Humans. We are different, hence we seek different goals. Do you know of our goal?"

She nodded again. "To reach the Roots."

Norikata put down the bottle, placing a hand over it, his gaze staring at the wooden planks under his feet. "Indeed. But remember what I told you? That reaching the Roots cannot be done in one generation. Look back in time, and note how far have we come, yet no one had truly reached the Roots yet. Sure, there were rumors of people reaching it, but where's the proof?"

Shirley was silent. She wasn't sure where the conversation was headed. She just stood there, and listen to the man as he spoke to her. She knew that it wasn't her place to interrupt.

"The Emiya clan research requires an eternity. The Root will remain forever out of reach, so log as we have mortal flesh. This experiment took a lot of time, but I have no idea how successful it is."

"But sensei, look at the flowers, they will bloom forever, isn't that proof enough that it's a success?" She asked.

"Shirley, humans, and plants are different in anatomy. They are much simpler when compared to humans. Not to mention, they have no emotions, no desires, unlike us. They merely prove that my research is in the right direction, but it has not truly reached fruition yet."

"Then what do you intend to do, sensei?"

He looked at her in the eyes and held up the bottle again. She looked at him with a questioning look, then at the bottle, and finally, everything clicked into place. Her eyes widened in horror, and she took a step backward, her eyes reflecting her fears.

"I see that you've grasped what I intend to do, Shirley. I can never have my answers if I continue to experiment on flowers only. I need a living human to experiment on, but not just any human. This chemical, if successful, will be used by members of the Emiya clan. Thus, I have to test it on someone who has Magic Circuit. You are my only option here, Shirley. I cannot ask Kiritsugu to do this. He's y son, my legacy."

She took another step backward, her back hitting the low experiment table. He took a few steps towards her.

"It's time, to know whether this truly is the power to change the world."

She felt the tears wetting her cheeks, the fear crawling up her heart. "No, sensei, please don't... You said yourself, you have no idea what it can do to humans..."

He nodded at her words. "That's why I have to know." His voice was unwavering.

"Please, no...sensei, I beg of you, don't do this to me..." She pleaded to the man, hoping that he would spare her. "Please, think of what I have done for you..."

He sighed. "I appreciated what you've done for me, but now, I need you to do more. It's time to know, whether I have to put my theories back to the drawing board."

The younger girl was openly crying by then. Norikata grabbed both of her wrists, pushing the girl till she was backed up against the wall. She struggled against his grasp, but he had a better hold on her, putting his weight on her. In their struggle, a beaker fell off the shelf next to them and shattered, but neither of them paid any attention to it.

"Please sensei..." She pleaded. "You said it yourself. It is incomplete. It's not ready to be tested. Please don' force me to do this..."

"That's why I have to know...how complete this is..." He growled and pushed the lid open with a thumb. She struggled even more, and the force of the struggle toppled more glassware onto the floor. With a grunt, he threw the girl onto the floor and she groaned in pain from the impact. He straddled her, one hand forcing her mouth to open, the other pouring the content into her mouth.

Shirley tried to spew the liquid out, but he pinched her nose, and soon the need of air overcame her, and she drew a sharp breath into her mouth, the chemical going down her throat. Norikata stood up, throwing the reagent bottle aside.

A voice startled both of them.

"Dad, what are you doing?" Kiritsugu's voice was like a whisper, and his face bore no expression.

* * *

 _Oh, you all are still here? Anxious to know what fate awaits the rest of the chosen seven? Not so fast, not so hasty... Let me say a few words first, alright?_

 _This is a world, where you will see a war, different from the one you all know. I'm not going to tell you the whole story again, so I'll simplify things for you all out there. This is the Grail War, a ritual to gain the omnipotent wish granting tool. Don't ask me how true this statement is because I've yet to witness it granting wishes..._

 _Now, you and I have both seen the change in Kiritsugu's life. His path ahead can only be decided by himself. How he would progress from here onwards is entirely up to him. Would he still become the Magus Killer? Would he still be singled out by the Einzbern?_

 _I hope I don't bore you with all of my rumbling, youngsters. I'm an old man, who has seen various worlds. I'm just here to share with you one of the many domains of the Kaleidoscope. I wanted you all to know, how the slightest changes can change the world._

 _That pain, can either crush someone or make someone grow._

 _The choice is yours, young ones, whether you choose t drown yourself in the pain, or let it nurture you._

 _I shall take my leave now, till we meet again..._

* * *

 **P/N (SPR):**

Sleeping Panda here, peeps! As you have read, an anticipated new fic by our young and talented Rin is beginning. She has some ideas brewing in her head for quite some time and finally, her hands have itched enough to make her put them into words. Please do R&R! We would both love to know your views, opinions, and ideas as this new story unfolds~


	2. Chapter 2

**ALTERED KALEIDOSCOPE**

DISCLAIMER : I DO NOT OWN FATE. FATE BELONGS TO TYPE-MOON AND NASU KINOKO. I OWN ONLY MY OC. ANY RESEMBLENCE TO REAL PERSON OR PEOPLE ARE MERE COINCIDENCE. NO FINANCIAL PROFIT IS MADE FROM THIS. THIS IS FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY.

* * *

 **A/N** And I'm back. Sorry for the long wait, but this new semester is seriously killing me. Anyway, here I am with a double update, done by my dearest and very much appreciated publisher, **SPR.** Thank you so much for being such a great friend. Enjoy the story, and do review. They fuel my day.

* * *

 **CHAPTER 2**

"Dad, what are you doing?" Kiritsugu's voice was like a whisper, and his face bore no expression. It was as if nothing in the world that could awaken the emotions that had died in him when he had seen the horrifying scene before him.

Norikata stood up, and stumbled over to his son, kneeling down before him and taking the boy by his shoulders. "Kiritsugu, I finally did it. I will know now, whether my researches was worth the time and effort. I have to know, I need to know. The Emiya's research, it is time to know whether it has reached the result we want."

He tore his gaze away from his father. "Why..." That was the only thing he managed to croak out.

"Kiritsugu, please understand this. We are Magus. This is what we do. We are what the others out there call cold, heartless, and calculating." He tried to reason with his son, who was shutting his father's voice out.

"Father, would you do the same thing to me someday?" He asked, his voice flat, devoid of any emotions.

Norikata snapped out of his trance by the unexpected question. To the Magus, Kiritsugu was still a boy, and he had no need to know the cruelty of the world he had dealt with. "Don't be ridiculous, Kiritsugu. A Dead Apostle is what I'm after, but if..."

He gestured towards the writhing body of his young assistant, who was screaming in pure agony. It was a wonder his son had not fled when the sound began to fill their isolated workshop. "...the one serum I've created give rise to Dead Apostles that can't suppress its bloodlust, then it is a failure. Shirley here will tell me which end I have come across."

"And...if you fail?" He asked, not really caring about the answer.

The older Magus actually smiled at his son. "Then we'll escape. I'll continue my research afresh, at another place."

"Can we still escape?"

"I hid a motorboat on the southern coast, in case something like this happened." He answered, and turned back to admire his work.

Shirley continued to writhe in pain, her screams echoing in the wooden planked workshop. She got onto her elbows and snarled like a wild animal. Her eyes rolled back into her head, as her neck arched back like a wolf about to howl. When she turned her attention to the two of them, they were blood red in color.

"A Dead Apostle..." Norikata whispered in fascination, like a child.

Shirley snarled, baring her now sharp canine and pounced on the two of them. Norikata quickly pushed his son to the side, and the boy crashed into a shelf, the glassware showering down around him, shattering into pieces. Shirley landed on all fours, snarled and turned to Kiritsugu, who watched her with evident fear in his eyes.

"Ke... Kerry... " She croaked out, her voice hoarse, her pupils dilating.

He picked himself off the floor, taking a shaky step towards the girl. "Shirley?"

The older girl quickly scooted away from him, waving her arms in front of her frantically, as if warding off the devil itself. Her eyes watered at the sight of the boy with a blank expression. She couldn't bring herself to look at him, knowing that it was her who had scarred the boy.

"Kerry...stay away from me..." She hissed, the urge to drink blood clouding her mind from her rational thinking. _No, I cannot give in to the desire. I cannot hurt Kerry..._

Her body convulsed in clear desire for blood, but she fought the urge down, digging her nails into the floor, forcing herself to stay where she was.

"Ru..."

Kiritsugu took another step forward, trying to catch what she had said. "Shirley?"

"RUN!" She screamed at his face before springing up at the boy. He fell onto his back, the Dead Apostle pinning him down onto the floor, her strength surprising him. He winced from the pain in his wrists, and suddenly all the emotions he thought had left him flooded his systems again.

He stared, wide-eyed and scared at the elder girl above him, who bared her canines and brought them close to his neck, her breath hot on his nerves. She licked his neck, eliciting a whimper from the frightened boy. She brushed her canine against his jugular, feeling his racing pulse.

At the sight, Norikata tried to pull the girl off his son, but her monstrous strength had her overpowering the middle-aged man, pushing him to the side with little effort. The Magus watched in fear as she pulled herself away from his son, licking her lips, then leaning in quickly, almost biting Kiritsugu's neck.

Before her canines could do any permanent damage to the boy, she pulled herself away and dashed out from the door, leaving father and son in the workshop, along with the shattered glasswares. Norikata picked his son up, and searched for any visible injuries and found none, much to his relief.

"Come on, Kiritsugu, we have to leave this place."

The boy looked at his father in the eyes and voiced the obvious question. "Why?"

He sighed, not wanting to continue the conversation. "Shirley has to lead me to the end result I've been trying to find. It seems that my research is headed in the wrong direction. Everything will have to start from the drawing board. Even the theories I've worked on has to be left behind. It's time, to start anew."

"Like what we have been doing? Going from place to place? Never having a true home? Always on the run?"

He let out a louder sigh this time, but his young son didn't seem to get the meaning. "Kiritsugu, I have to be on the run. There are people out there, coming after my head. I don't want to drag you into this. Plus, it's time to end things on this island. Sorry Kiritsugu, but I don't think we have time for you to pack your things. "

"Ah..." He murmured as if in a trance. "...it's time to end things."

If Norikata had paid more attention to his son, he would have noticed the tone his son was using. Just like what Shirley had done, the boy dashed out from the workshop. His father rushed after the boy, who made a run towards the house and stopped abruptly at the front door.

The elder Magus slowed down and cautiously came closer to his son. "Kiritsugu?"

The answer he got came in the form of a hit to the head. Kiritsugu had picked up one of the potted flowers sitting on the porch. He swung the heavy thing against his father, and the elder man fell with a sickening thud to the cold floor, pressing a hand to his bleeding scalp, his eyes glazed as he looked on with a surprised look at the dented pot in his son's hand.

"... ..." Kiritsugu stood there, heaving, the pot still clutched in both his hands.

"Ki... Kiritsugu... What's the meaning of this?" His father asked through the haze of pain.

He took a step nearer, staring down at his father's dark eyes, filled with fear. His own reflected no emotions. "Remember what I said? That it's time to end things?"

"What?" Norikata slurred.

"You, a Magus, who dedicated his entire life, seeking immortality by turning people into Dead Apostles. Of all the places we've been to, all the places we left in a haste, how many of them were turned into the blood-sucking abomination by your hands? It's time to end this meaningless research."

"Kiritsugu..."His father began but never got the chance to continue whatever he had wanted to say. Kiritsugu straddled him, and brought the pot over his head slamming it down, again and again.

Norikata brought up his arms to protect his head, but the force of the hit soon fractured his arms, leaving them limp and useless. Unprotected, the pot hit his head again and again. Bones cracked, and gave away under the force, cerebrospinal fluid oozing from the cracks, mingling with the blood which flowed freely from the man he called a father. His eyes were wide open, filled with a fear. Blood trickled from his nostrils and ears, but he was quite dead.

The boy let the pot go, and the dented thing rested beside him once dropped from his grasp. His face, arms, and clothes were drenched in blood, but he didn't seem to notice as he got up from his father, his breathing fast and short. He let himself fall onto his back, eyes boring into the ceiling above his head, his mind trying to process what he had done.

He felt no remorse in killing his father. He felt no sadness from the death he had just witnessed. He did not feel disgusted at the blood he was covered in. In fact, he could feel nothing. It was as if he had become a machine when he decided things needed to end. He knew, that if he let his father leave the island, he would continue his research somewhere else, and the same thing would happen all over again.

He sat up and murmured. "Dad, were you the one who caused mom her death?"

No answer. His father was dead, killed by his own hands.

He stood up, and kicked his father in the side once, twice, thrice. No answer, no whimper. He crouched down and closed his father's eyes. He might have come to hate his father, but he was his father nonetheless.

"The end, huh? Not quite, though..." He remembered what the elder girl had said to him on that night, when they had been together, enjoying the night time scenery.

 _The power to change the world...and one day, it will be yours..._

"It is mine now..." He said, looking down at his father's corpse. He knew the Emiya crest was on his father's hand. To him, he felt that having a crest at the arm gave enemies a bigger chance to cut the appendage off to get the crest. "Fool..."

He searched around him and found a knife stashed away in the toolbox. He ran a finger down its blade, then placing the blade on his father's arm, he surgically cut off the appendage, facing some difficulty when the bone got in the way. Growing frustrated, the boy let out a grunt and tossed the knife aside, ripping the appendage until the thing came off.

He smiled at his trophy and stood up, picking up the bottle of kerosene in the corner, pouring it over his father and the floor. A small fire was it needed to start a big fire. Kiritsugu fished out a lighter and set the place he called a house on fire.

Kiritsugu then headed into the workshop and rummaged the place over, looking for something. The boy got frustrated when he couldn't find what he was after, and kicked one of the shelves hard. A leather bound notebook fell onto the ground, the pages opened to a certain page. He picked the book up, and read the contents. What he read left him wide eyed. But he regained his composure fairly quickly and poured kerosene over the place, pouring a trail out into the open, and ignited the flames.

He took off into a run after his actions, standing at the edge of the forest while looking back at the rapidly burning house and workshop. The eternally blooming flowers swayed, as if saying goodbye to the boy. A stray tear found its way down the boy's cheek, but he hardened his heart, turned and ran into the forest, leaving the burning house, his memories behind.

* * *

A motorboat sped its way towards the island, heading for one of the steepest cliffs on the island. Once the engine of the boat was heard as a low rumble on the island, the woman killed the engines and let the motorboat move on with its momentum. It was halted by the boulders lining the bottom of the cliff, which covered the entire south part of the island.

The woman on board jumped down from the boat, holding a coil of thick rope in her hands. She secured one end of the rope to her boat, and the other to a boulder. All the while, her eyes darted around, keeping watch on unwanted visitors. Pulling at the rope, she tested the fastening, convinced that the boat would not drift off with the waves, pulled some of her gear from the boat, and stuck a cigarette in her mouth.

Lighting the cigarette, and letting it dangle from the corner of her mouth, she stared up at the cliff, which proved to be a difficult climb. The waves crashing against the waves caused the surface to be slippery. The mosses were in abundance, as the secluded cliff receive little light. Not to mention the number of handholds and footholds on the cliff. A novice could take one look at it and peed his pants, but not the huntress. She knew, any other "people" who attempted to climb the cliff was on the way to suicide, but not her.

A smirk made its way onto her face. In her field of profession, she was known to have a poker face. A woman knew with a pale countenance, more aptly described as expressionless than cold and cruel. But now, with no one but her around, she could afford a smirk every now and then. She spits the cigarette from her mouth, and ground the stub under her heels, eyeing the top of the cliff to let her estimate the distance. She flexed her muscles, and she could feel the adrenaline rushing through her veins, urging her heart to beat faster, and enjoy the hunt in front of her.

Bending her knees, and channeling mana through her body, she prepared herself for the action. Taking a deep breath, she jumped as high as she could with her reinforced legs, and held on to a protruding ledge. With her face to the cliff, she swung inwards, her soles coming into contact with the rocky surface. With another heave, she back flipped upwards, grabbing another boulder and repeating the process until she landed on the top of the cliff, straightening up and eyed her surroundings warily.

It was too quiet for the experienced Enforcer to know that something was wrong. Very wrong. There was not even the sound of crickets singing or owls hooting. The only sounds she could hear was her own breathing, her heart beating and the rustling of leaves in the cool, night breeze. She pulled out her holster, trained eyes scanning the surroundings. There was nothing except trees and bushes around her. The forest seemed to be devoid of any other life forms.

Natalia took a step forward, her boot snapping a twig, and the sound sounded like a gunshot in the silence. She abruptly stopped, waiting for a sound, any sound, and again heard none. Instead, the smell of burning wood assailed her nostrils, and at the end of the forest, she could see orange flames. Instincts overrode her, and the mercenary dashed forward, agilely dodging around the trees, low branches and roots.

She soon neared the bounded fields near the area, and casting a quick spell, she familiarized herself with the structure of the field before moving on to tear it down. She removed the bounded field without much effort and made the way towards the burning house. The flames were beginning to spread, and despite the intense heat, she noted something amiss in the fire.

A body lay on the burning porch, and reinforcing her eyes only verified her guess. Judging from the body size, it was no doubt the body of Emiya Norikata, the man she was hunting down. His head was heavily battered, and he seemed to be missing one arm. Natalia stepped back from the flames, and edged back into the woods, lighting another cigarette and put it in her mouth.

 _Someone came here before I did, and killed him? How? And who was it?_

The thought kept bugging her mind, but she could not come up with any explanations. Even the flames were of the mundane type, unlike the ones started by Magus with an Elemental Affinity for fire. It was crude, simple and mundane. Natalia knew deep inside her that it was not the work of a Magus, at least not an orthodox one.

She kept an eye on the burning house, the other on the workshop, where it was welcoming the embrace of the flames. Magus from the Association would have extinguished the fire to save the researches inside, no matter how heretic the Magus conducting them might be. But not her. She would rather see the researches being burn than to clean up the mess that would be caused by other Magus after getting their hands on the notes.

She blew smoke into the air, letting her thoughts wander, and waited until nothing was left of the heretic's workshop.

* * *

Shirley madly dashed through the forest, her bloodthirsty mind making it difficult for her to focus on the task of getting away as fast as she could from the boy she loved dearly. To her, Kerry was more than just a friend. He was her brother. Her family. No matter what were the changes overcoming her body, her instincts told her that the boy was the most important person in the world to her, that she must protect him at all costs.

Kiritsugu was her everything. She never quite understood why she had warmed up to the boy so quickly when he first arrived on the island. He looked like any other average Japanese boy, though his name was quite weird in a way. She always had a hard time trying to pronounce his name right, so she ended up calling him Kerry. The name was soon used by all the other children on the island. Thinking back, perhaps it was his warm smile which drew her attention in the first place and his carefree way.

She stopped, panting for breath and let herself slid down to the ground with her back against a tree. With her enhanced senses, she could smell the burning wood in the distance, and hear footsteps coming towards her way. The enhanced senses had her more self-aware, knowing that she was no longer a human. She was an abomination. The footsteps sounded louder by the minute, and she knew who it was before the person even came into view. She could smell him before he got close, and a pair of crimson eyes met a pair of night black ones.

"Kerry..." She whispered, fighting down her brain's desire to lunge forward and sink her fangs into the boy's neck. She knew she was changing, she was no longer a human, and there was nothing either of them could do about it, but the boy still came for her, like it was the most common thing to do.

"Shirley." He responded in kind. The blank expression he previously wore gave way to a soft smile, the smile that she loved, and he dropped the appendage to the ground, taking a few steps towards the older girl. " Finally, I have the power..."

"The power?" She echoed, not really understanding what he was talking about. The suddenly it clicked, and her eyes widened in horror at the appendage by his feet. "Kerry, you...you killed sensei?"

He looked up into the canopy of trees over his head. "Ah... I did. He was a worthless man. If I let him leave this island, nobody knows how many people will suffer the fate you've suffered... In fact, I have no idea how many innocent lives he'd taken so far."

Her eyes blurred, her bloodlust momentarily forgotten as she sank to her knees and cried. The boy walked over to the girl, crouched down, and wanted to hold her in an embrace, but one look at his blood covered hands stopped the boy in his actions. Instead, he sighed, not sounding like the young boy he was. He sounded too mature for his age.

"Shirley, I'm a Magus, but it doesn't mean I have to like one. There's no telling how many heretics are out there, conducting similar researches and pulling the innocents into this. You said it yourself, didn't you? This is a power to change the world, and I will do so, in a right way."

Her eyes pleaded the boy to contemplate his actions. She did not want to lose the sweet little boy she had knew and loved. The person in front of her was Kerry, but at the same time, he wasn't Kerry. "Kerry, please, don't do this... Don't..." Her hands moved to grasp the boy by his shoulders.

"I'm sorry..." He apologized and smiled. "You asked me, what I want to be when I grow up? I guess, I still don't know the answer. But will you still keep your promise?" At the questioning look in her eyes, he smiled. "That you will see with your own eyes on what I will become?"

She nodded, her face melancholy. "But... Look at what I've become..."

He smiled and gently caressed her cheek fondly. "Ah, don't worry. You'll work your way around it... Father didn't select you to become his assistant just because you have magic circuits. He knew more than you know about yourself."

"Huh?" The girl asked, blinking in confusion.

"A Magus does not let one into the family secrets. But you, Shirley, you know far more of our magic when compared to the fellow practitioners out there, including those who are after us. Father, he knew all along, that you are the key to his success. That's why he chose you."

"Kerry? What are you talking about?" She asked, holding him by the shoulders. He didn't sound like the boy she had known. After he found out what his father had been doing, something inside him snapped.

He smiled, and hugged the girl. "Shirley..."

* * *

Natalia watched the place burned down into rubbles, and turned to leave. She had lost all her interest when her target had been taken out by someone else. _Some sort of amateur, no doubt._ She thought to herself bitterly and pulled the cigarette from her mouth, blowing out smoke. Her blue eyes never stopped scanning her surroundings, as she found her bearing and made the decision to return to her boat.

Fallen leaves rustled to her right, and she immediately pulled out her holster, aiming it at the shadow emerging from the sea of trees. Her eyes widened at the sight of a boy covered in blood. More sickening was the appendage he held in his hand. It was roughly cut off, judging from the jagged surface, and the blood was just beginning to crust. She swore under her breath but said nothing.

Kiritsugu smiled, not really afraid of the gun aimed point blank at his head. "Is that your way of greeting people? Kinda rude of you, no? Especially after you trespassed _my_ property first."

"That burning house. Yours?" She asked, containing her surprise at the boy standing before her. She could sense a weak flow of mana from him. Hence, there was no doubt that he was a Magus.

"You can say that if you want to. It was my home."

Natalia narrowed her eyes. She noted the use of past tense used but decided not to press on the issue. Instead, she focused on the piece of broken limb in his hand. "And that?"

"Oh, this?" He asked casually, waving the appendage. "A souvenir. You know, you can't hide things from me. Are you after a Sealing Designate?"

"And if I am?"

He smirked. "I guess you underestimate what a boy can do, don't you? The Sealing Designate you were hunting was my father, Emiya Norikata. I can guess why he pissed the whole lot of you off since that was the reason I killed him."

Natalia lowered her holster but didn't put it away. "You killed him? For what?"

His eyes seemed to burn with hatred. "He had killed countless people on his so-called quest to reach Akasha. Even if reaching Akasha is what every Magus wish for, such tactics shouldn't be used. He's dragging innocent lives into things, and I can guess, this island is not his first stop. We had traveled all over the world for these past few years, with you hounds hot on our tails. If I don't stop him now, I have no idea how many people will be dragged into this."

"That's your reason for killing him?" She asked.

"Ah..."

She put the holster away. "That's a poor reason for a son to kill his father."

Then, as if the full intensity of his actions hit him, Kiritsugu sank to his knees, and threw the bloody appendage at the woman in front of him, his frame shaking wildly. His tears were dry, no matter how much he could cry over the situation.

His father, dead by his hands...

His house, burnt by his hands...

And...

And Shirley, an Apostle, freed by his hands...

Kiritsugu looked into those icy blue orbs and forced a smile onto his lips.

"You really are a good person."

Natalia didn't reply him. Instead, she stooped to pick up the appendage, then turned her back to the boy. "I'll get you off the island. After that, you must decide things for yourself. Anything you want to take with you?"

Kiritsugu smiled at the question, and stood up. "Nothing..." He mumbled, slipping back to his emotionless self, trying to bury the pain he was feeling back into the deepest corner of his heart.

* * *

The two of them headed back to Natalia's motorboat, and the mercenary ignited the engines and roared away from the blazing island.

The fire, started by the young Magus Killer, had turned into a blazing inferno. The island, engulfed in the flames, radiated a beauty he couldn't describe. Deep inside his heart, he held on to the belief that the island was where his ideals were based on, and he would chase after them, no matter what the cost might be.

Shirley had pointed out the path he should take, and sacrificed herself in the process. But, things were not over yet. Even if her mind was controlled by blood-lust, so long as mana flowed through her veins, Kiritsugu knew that it was not the end for Shirley.

He turned to the woman driving the motorboat, and the box beside her, holding the appendage he took off from his father.

"So what now? You can go and take the reward since I have no use of the money. But what about the crest?"

She didn't even spare a glance at the boy. "Your father was a Dealing Designate, or have you forgotten? His researches mean a lot to the Association for them to want him under custody while continuing on with it. So, naturally, his crest must be handed over to the Association"

He tore his gaze away. "I just, remember what a friend said to me, that whatever that man was working on, it was a world changing power..."

She eyed his out of the corner of her eye, and sighed. "I'll work something out..."

* * *

As the duo left the island, they didn't realize another boat leaving the island in a completely different direction, carrying a certain Dead Apostle Ancestor, who went by the alias, Crown. The centuries old Ancestor had his arms around a shaking Shirley, who was looking at the boat her dear friend was on.

Merem was looking at the boat as well, but he signaled the Executors to get them away as fast as they could before the mercenary on board knew of their presence. The boy knew about them and has entrusted the young girl in his arms to them.

"Kerry... if this is your answer, then I shall keep my promise..." He heard the girl whispered.

"What answer?" He asked, intrigued to know.

She shook her head, looking at him with her blood red eyes. "It's a promise between us."

Merem grinned. He may be an old Ancestor, and also a traitor, but there were still certain things for him to care about in their world. The girl in his arms was one of them now. She wasn't the treasure he had come after for, but with the right nourishment, she might bloom into something great.

"I guess, you are with me now, Tiara..." He called her by her new name.

She bowed. "Indeed, dear Master..."

* * *

After fleeing the island, I made my mind to stay with the woman by the name Natalia Kaminski. That meant, following down the same path, the path of a hunter.

But I bore in my mind, that whatever promises I made with Shirley back on Alimango Island, I will fulfill them. And she will be watching me until my ideals bear fruition.

I entrusted her to Crown, one of the few Burial agents out there. And I made a pact with him. He was the Devil all right, but at least he agreed to my terms. He would keep Shirley safe, and teach her to control her thirst for blood. Hopefully, things wouldn't turn on me in the long run. Appearance wise, Crown and I might be of the same age, but mentally wise, the both of us differ by a great margin.

The both of them might not know it yet, but Shirley, she's special.

Her Origin.

The starting point that defines one's existence and direct one's actions throughout life. It is the driving force from the inside of Akasha, the Origin of everything, that managed to stream out from the source and take material form. All humans match their actions to be in harmony with the driving force that that originated from them the moment they enter into the world.

Kiritsugu, my name itself had been a symbol of my own Origin. Severing and Binding.

But...

What was it that had driven the girl in her life so far? The carefree girl I had come to love more than as a sister in his short stay? That was the one and only thing I would never share to anyone.

* * *

 _Oh, am I glad to see you all still here? I hope I don_ _'t bore you all._

 _And here we are, at the end of the incident which would make Kiritsugu into a different Magus Killer that you all know. He still has the hatred towards the Magus who conducted experiments on innocent Humans, but his hatred now is even deeper._

 _Why? Because he saw a Magus forcing a Human to drink a potion. And that Magus was his father, the Human his dear friend. Such tragedy broke him, emotionally and mentally._

 _But perhaps there is still salvation for him. Shirley. She's not really out of the picture yet. With Crown with her, I cannot imagine what future has in store for this domain of the Kaleidoscope._

 _Now, youngsters, do you wish an old man like me to continue with the life of this boy, or shall we leap through time to see the lives of the other chosen seven? I shall await your answer in patience._

 _Til next time..._

* * *

 **R &R plz~**


End file.
